Numerous fastening or clamping devices have been developed to band various articles to one another such as ducts, pipes, and cans. There are even devices used in baling substances such as cotton. The majority of these devices have often required special clips, or straps and have been difficult to operate in an expedient fashion. Moreover, when used in connection with pipes, these devices have required more than one person to install and have not been reusable.
Prior art fasteners and locking devices have been devised to address the aforenoted problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,790 issued on Jan. 28, 1997 to Moller. This patent relates to a hose clamp having a clamp body which encloses a hose end in a ring formation with overlapping ends.
Lyons is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,819 which issued on Jul. 8, 1997. This patent relates to the clamp including a pawl resiliently projected into the passage, the pawl including a lead cam surface adapted to co-act with the teeth as the band is passed through the clamp to deflect the pawl into opening condition of the passage. The clamp includes a barb in opposed relation to the pawl. The pawl and the barb function when the band is tightened so as to engage within the adjacent openings the teeth which lock the band against the retractile movement from the clamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,113 issued to Fay on Sep. 23, 1997. This patent relates to a clamp including an overlapping end portion having a plurality of apertures spaced longitudinally from one another with each aperture having an inward projection. An ear projects outwardly between the aperture and an elongated slot in the overlapping portion. The lapped portion includes a plurality of openings, each having an outwardly projecting hook. The hooks and projections are geometrically shaped to, upon engagement with one another, laterally center the lapped and lapping portions and interlock the portions to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,339 was issued on Dec. 19, 1989 to Bellanger. This patent relates to a strip of polymeric sheet material adapted to cut into lengths to form releasably engageable pieces of a fastener. The strip has a row of tab-like parts bent along bend lines out of the plane of a main part of the strip to define an opening through the strip. The tab-like parts on each of two lengths of the strip are simultaneously fully inserted through the openings in the other length with the tab-like parts projecting generally in opposite direction, the edge surfaces of the tab-like parts on one length will make frictional engagement with the edge surfaces of the main part of the strip on the other hand to frictionally hold the lengths in releasable engagement.
Beach et al is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,536 which issued on Jun. 2, 1992. This patent relates to a binding strap with integral connecting structure and anti-disengagement feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,957 issued on Apr. 4, 1967 to V. R. Dunn. This patent relates to a self-locking strap involved in the connection of pipe insulation.
J. H. Coffman is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 1,330,737 which issued on Feb. 10, 1920. This patent relates to a coupling clamp for hoses. R. Terrell is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 156,262 which issued on Oct. 27, 1874. This patent relates to bale-ties.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,764 issued to J. M. Hothersall on Jul. 22, 1941. This patent relates to a locking band adapted for permanently securing together cans having end seams and arranged in a stacked formation. The locking band comprises of a substantially flat split ring adapted to engage around adjacent end seams of the stacked cans. A plurality of inwardly struck longitudinally and transversely spaced rigid holding lugs are formed in the ring and arranged around the ring for engaging and pressing together the adjacent end seams of the cans so as to uniformly hold them against lateral separation. A means is located at the ends of the split ring for clamping the split ring in the end seam holding position.
There is a need for utilizing a fastener to releasably secure abutting ends of two foam insulating members that are commonly used to insulate either the hot or cold cooler pipes formed in a house or commercial establishment. Although these hollow insulating tube members secured around water pipes in end to end fashion, a gap between adjacent foam members can develop due to very large contraction and expansion coeffecients which affect the foam members as a result of temperature variations. It is usually necessary to actually glue abutting ends of the foam tube insulation to each other which is generally time consuming and expensive and not very effective when there are further flucuations in temperature and the foam tube insulation expands and contracts again.
Thus a coupler for securing foam insulation elements which may be easily installed, is reusable and provides an effective seal between two pieces of foam pipe insulation elements or tubing regardless of the very large expansion and contraction coeffecients, and without the need for glue is desirable.